Articles from ‘Independent News Roundup’

“Same as it ever was” is a phrase that continues to resonate in 2026. · Jamie Fraser/Getty Images - Author Craig Stevens Professor in Ocean Physics, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Earth Sciences New Zealand · The oil shocks of the 1970s, triggered by conflict in the Middle East, sent global energy prices soaring and exposed the vulnerability of modern economies to fuel supply. They also sparked a global surge of interest…

The fallout from war between the United States, Israel and Iran has dominated global oil markets. And not just because the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about 20% of global oil and gas, remains effectively closed to shipping traffic. · Author Flavio Macau - Associate Dean - School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University · Deep uncertainty about how long the disruption will continue has added a persistent “risk premium” – an…

New Zealand and Australia like to think of themselves as food powerhouses. · William West/AFP via Getty Images | Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Otago · But right now, a war in the Middle East and China’s fertiliser export restrictions are exposing a dangerous blind spot: their farms depend on imported fertiliser, and they have no plan for when it stops arriving. · As much as fertiliser might seem like a background detail in…

Rising milling capacity in Sudan is boosting demand for grain, Agroexport has said · ©  Kirill Braga / Sputnik · Russian wheat shipments to Sudan have more than doubled, the Russian agriculture export agency Agroexport said on Tuesday.  · Exporters delivered about 1.7 million tons since the start of the 2025/26 season, compared to 0.7 million tons over the same period a year earlier. That volume has already exceeded the…

Demonstrators have caused traffic disruptions, taking their cue from rallies held in the Republic of Ireland as prices soar · A police officer directs traffic as slow-moving vehicles join a fuel protest causing severe traffic disruption on the A5 between Belfast and Omagh, April 14, 2026. ©  AP Photo / Peter Morrison · Police in Northern Ireland have slapped fines on demonstrators who disrupted traffic to protest soaring fuel…

The acting Bulgarian PM is on a mission to give whatever he can to Vladimir Zelensky before he’s booted from office By RT newsroom, a team of multi-lingual journalists with over a decade of experience in Russian and international reporting, delivering original research and insights often missing from mainstream coverage https://www.rt.com/op-ed/authors/rt-newsroom/ · RT composite. ©  AP Photo / Evgeniy Maloletka; …

Moscow can replace Tehran’s crude supplies to China, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said     · FILE PHOTO. © Getty Images / komisar · Russia can plug any oil supply gap triggered by the Middle East conflict and help China and other countries withstand US “aggressive adventures,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, signaling Moscow is ready to offset shortages if Iranian exports are squeezed.  · US…

Donald Trump says he's permanently opening the strait of Hormuz for China and the World. In a vaguely worded post, it remains to be seen if the US presidents power struggle with Tehran has been resolved. Widespread destruction across Tehran displaces civilians whose lives are in now ruins. Their future is at stake after their pasts have been erased amid the US-Israeli onslaught. And, while the ceasefire is holding and the US sails…

Slovenia is preparing a referendum on withdrawal from the bloc as Trump’s threats deepen internal divisions · FILE PHOTO. Slovenian flag displayed on a smartphone with a NATO flag in the background. © Getty Images / Igor Golovniov;  SOPA Images;  LightRocket · Slovenia’s newly elected parliament speaker has announced plans to hold a referendum on withdrawing the country from NATO,…

So many were duped by Alt-Media charlatans over the years into thinking that this economic-financial group is also a security bloc when it never was, still isn’t, nor ever will be one. · Andrew Korybko · Indonesia and the US announced a “Major Defense Cooperation Partnership” (MDCP) during their Defense Ministers’ meeting in DC in mid-April. This arrangement “will explore mutually agreed cutting-edge initiatives, including co-developing…